We Need a Better Way to Share Earth Observations - Eos
The article argues that current fragmentation in global environmental data sharing significantly hampers our ability to accurately monitor and forecast natural hazards. It concludes that developing a unified, cloud-based data infrastructure is essential to overcome organizational silos and improve the integration of satellite and in situ observations for better climate resilience. A major barrier to progress is the lack of interoperability and adherence to FAIR principles across disparate repositories. The piece highlights the urgent need for an innovative, open-source platform that standardizes data formats and provides robust services, allowing researchers to seamlessly combine global observations without facing technical or bureaucratic obstacles. For open data advocates, this article underscores the critical intersection of technical standards, trust, and equity. It emphasizes that true open data requires not just accessibility, but also rigorous validation to ensure trustworthiness and clear attribution mechanisms to incentivize sharing, thereby accelerating scientific discovery and societal benefits.
Source: eos.orgPublished on 2023-05-13